Aurora man not guilty in sex assault case

An Aurora man charged with sexually assaulting and impregnating a 12-year-old girl in 2007 was found not guilty by a Kane County jury today.

Corey Hodges, 27, who has been in jail in lieu of $750,000 bail since his arrest in 2008, had been charged with four criminal counts, including predatory criminal sexual assault.

He was accused of assaulting the girl in his Aurora apartment in the summer of 2007. Later that year, the girl found out she was pregnant, and a DNA test showed a greater than 99 percent probability that Hodges had impregnated her, Assistant State's Atty. Sam Partida told jurors during Wednesday afternoon's closing arguments.

"She came in and told you what she experienced and what she went through," Partida said.

In his closing, Assistant Public Defender Thomas McCulloch acknowledged, "Something went on." However, he urged jurors to not solely focus on paternity, but to consider inconsistencies in the girl's testimony.

"This little girl is not the truth-teller she's been made out to be," he said.

The jury deliberated about three hours before reaching its verdict in the trial, which began Monday.